The first satellite navigation system produced in India across Asia Pacific

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) successfully conducted a trial for an LPV-based approach to land an Indigo aircraft using the latest indigenous satellite-based augmentation system (SBAS) called GAGAN at the Kishangarh airport in Rajasthan on April 28, 2022, making India the first country in the Asia Pacific Region to achieve a major milestone.
GPS-Aided Geo-Augmented Navigation (GAGAN) is a GPS-assisted geo-augmented navigation system. It’s a satellite-based system that aims to boost navigation system accuracy and reliability. GAGAN also rectifies GPS signal faults generated by ionospheric fluctuations, sends insight on satellite stability, and corrects timing and satellite orbit problems. It’s the Indian Space-based Integrated Navigation System, both AAI and ISRO are working on together for India and its equatorial neighbours.
Indigo Airlines used GAGAN Service to fly an Instrument Approach Procedure (IAP) with an LPV minimum of 250 feet utilising their ATR aircraft. The tests were conducted at Kishangarh Airport as part of the maiden GAGAN LPV flight testing, with a DGCA crew on board.

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“GAGAN will be a game-changer for civil aviation, resulting in airspace modernisation, reduced flight delays, fuel savings, and improved flight safety,” said Ronojoy Dutta, IndiGo’s whole-time director and CEO in a statement.
The AAI said in a statement that “a number of airports, including airports under the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS), are being surveyed for the development of GAGAN-based instrument approach procedures, so that suitably equipped aircraft can derive maximum benefit in terms of improved landing safety, reduced fuel consumption, reduced delays, diversions, and cancellations, and so on.”
Following final certification from the DGCA, the GAGAN will be available for use on commercial aircraft.

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